Fire
by 3D.2why
Summary: Because Ace is precious and beautiful and amazing and a one-of-a-kind and we must never forget him.
1. Never

Ace shrugs. "I dunno what you're talking about."

Thatch groans, whines, and does every possible thing to annoy a human being.

Ace continues to eat, you don't live with Luffy without learning a few things.

"GAH! HOW? ACE, HOW?" Thatch demands, throwing himself at Ace's feet.

Ace sighs. "Look it's not a big deal-"

"-uuuuuuh, yes it is," Haruta interrupts.

"You haven't used a bed, haven't had chocolate, you don't even know _what_ a transponder snail is, you've barley heard of the Yonko's, you can't read and... so much more," Izo lists, eye twitching.

Marco sighs. "Who raised you Ace?"

"My grandfather wanted me to be a marine and gave me to mountain bandits to be raised," Ace says flatly before resuming his eating.

Nobody interrupted him and the conversation was never to be resumed, ever.


	2. Klepto-something

It's pretty much a habit at this point, walking past someone and grabbing whatever's in there pocket.

Ace didn't count on someone grabbing his wrist in a bruising grip.

"What are you doing?" The man asks, half-lidded eyes looking ridiculous and but there is an aura around him that suggests that _bitch, you best run the fuck a way from here._

Ace does not do that and, instead grins.

"Yo, didn't see you there," He says as if greeting the guy like a friend.

If possible, the person's eyebrow's raise higher.

"You didn't notice me?" He repeats, incredulous.

Ace rubs the back of his head with a laugh. "Erm... it's pretty much a habit I can't control and whatever you put in your pocket looked shiny."

The person let's go of his wrist. "I've heard of that, klepto-something,"

Ace blinks. "That's what it's called?" Before shrugging and resuming his walk. "See ya, stranger."

(It was only later in the day Marco realizes that his money is gone and swears).

Ace smiles, spotting something. "Ooh, shiny."

(And then he robs a police officer who arrests him and it's on TV where Marco learns Ace's name and this is how they become friends, though Ace denies the story).


	3. Magma

"Luffy's dead," Sabo says.

Ace swallows something down. "I know."

"He's never coming back," Sabo continues.

Ace nods his head absentmindedly. "Yep."

"He will never become King of the Pirates," Sabo finishes, hurting them both, battered Straw-Hat in his hands and it's only a second before it's squished between the two of them, sobbing and limbs curling around each other on the burnt floor of the forest they were raised in.

(Only everything is in memories and books. There is a fire around them, not burning because Ace keeps it at bay and wonders why the fire loves him and not Luffy.

Only it was magma instead).


	4. Dawn

What is Dawn Island?

 _Dawn Island is death and destruction and fire and bodies._

Where is Dawn Island?

 _Ashes, scattered across the seas and nobody mourns._

Why Dawn Island?

 _Because sinful blood resides there and it's only expected for the Marines to remove the blight._

How are Dawn Islands people?

 _Dead, dead, dead, dead, dying, gone, death and strong. One left with a battered Straw-Hat that does not belong._

And when people ask where Ace's from, he responds the East Blue and when they ask what Island he says Dawn Island and they ask what Island that is and Ace laughs, responding with, somewhere small and unimportant.

They leave it at that and those same people inform the World Government and Ace is dead before he even touches the New World, Straw-Hat slipping from his fingers and blood pooling down his mouth, wisps of fire smothered and relief apparent in his eyes _because his question has been answered_ as his story in the news touches hearts, burning in their minds and people mourn for someone they never got to know.

And then the blonde one comes, taking the Straw-Hat and devil fruits and an army at his back, and burns the world down, scars stark against his skin and words tattooed for meaning.

What is Dawn Island?

 _Dawn Island is peace and beauty and love and greed and hate._

Where is Dawn Island?

 _In this Straw-Hat's memories and in this brother's blood and the world and her have part._

Why Dawn Island?

 _Because the world is afraid of storm and fire and freedom and peace and free speech._

How are Dawn Islands people?

 _Just like you. There are the cruel and the beautiful and they are your brothers and your lovers and your haters and your fathers._

 _Brothers_ , published by Sabo the revolutionary.


	5. Fire flame

"I want people to be free," Ace tells Sabo, tracing the blonde's burns softly. "I want... to save people like me."

Sabo stares at him sadly.

"This is the only time where I'm sure... that they'll be there..." Ace continues, looking away.

Sabo understands, a sleeping Luffy by his side and simply repeats what he would want to hear, what he would prey his other half would say. "Go," He whispers. "Go, go, go."

"Take care of Luffy, of yourself," Ace mumbles.

Ace packs his bare essentials, along with a hat, leaving the Bandit's hut in the darkness of the night, boarding a boat to set sail and search for the Revolutionaries.

 _"I'm setting sail, watch me Sabo."_

This is his departure, this is where he says goodbye, where it may be the last time he sees his brothers, the last time he very well may step on this piece of shit that is land, that is _home_ but-

there are dreams in his heart, sins in his blood, world on his shoulders, words on his mind, brother tattooed on his skin and carved into his soul.

This is Portgas D. Ace the revolutionary.


	6. Flame Fire

"I'm setting sail, watch me Ace," Sabo whispers, waving goodbye to everyone, grinning at Luffy.

The Noble Gentlemen they call him, bounty high enough to warrant a request for the World Government to be interested.

Well, Sabo muses, anybody would be interested in a person who burnt down the scaffold for Gol D. Roger with a lighter and a laugh.

Sabo chuckles at the messenger. "Hell no, you're funny. Tell the World Government I have a sibling in the revolutionary army-there's no way I would join them!"

Of course, a year later everything turns to shit when he's ambushed by marines and while he mostly wins, it's on a wreckage of a ship and barley anyone left.

Sabo frowns. They were hand-picked, they were _his_ crew.

(They were laughs, experiences, somehow sunshine on a sunny day and cries, lifeless, screaming over the rain for him to live)

"Hm... so you're the only one who survived?" A booming voice interrupts Sabo who raises an eyebrow, staring into the face of Whitebeard himself.

(Kindness, sympathy, resolve, something burning within his depths of his irises and Sabo knows he has seen it inside himself and his brothers)

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Sabo questions, suspicious, broken.

Whitebeard laughs, ground shaking along with him and his twinkling eyes lock with Sabo's.

"Become my son," He says and Sabo blinks.

"Why should I? I want to be captain, to dictate my own path," Sabo responds with a huff and crosses his arms.

Whitebeard waves his hand, confident, like Sabo's dream is just an obstacle of some sorts. "Of course you can continue doing that, just call me pops, become my son and sail the world!"

Sabo shakes his head and laughs, stuffing trembling hands into pockets.

(And it's only a few years later Sabo becomes a commander, eating the Dark Dark Fruit, killing Teach, visiting Luffy and watches the world burn along with Ace).

This is Sabo, second commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.


	7. Heaven is here

Ace is fourteen when he spits out blood violently, a sudden unbearable ache in his chest and walks, mostly stumbling, on his way to Low Town for a doctor.

"Tumour... heart... lungs... few years... death."

Ace nods his head, pretends to understand, pays the man and walks back to his home robotically before continuing is life, easily hiding the blood and the decay of his life.

(This is Ace who has so much to live for, until the end, where opinions and truths dictate paths and the darkness wins)

Of course, he starts coughing up blood right here, right now, on this horrible execution stand and Ace wonders, for the first time, how Roger could continue smiling despite all.

Garp gives him a concerned, panicked look. "Ace? The hell, I know they didn't hurt you too much in there!"

Sengoku himself narrows his eyes in confusion. "What is this?"

Ace coughs up even more, faint burning in his chest and he knows with time it will grow unbearable and then he will fall.

"Ace?!" Several other pirates exclaim in shock and everyone's confused, each side eying each other.

Ace coughs even more, longer than before, panting. "I'm... Gramps it's over for me,"

Garp stiffens. "No... don't tell me you have _that_?"

Ace gives a wry smile. "That's right, I was already a dead man walking. Roger's genes really did fuck me over."

"What are you babbling?" Sengoku demands and Ace shakes his head.

"None of your business, the point is the fact that I'm not going to die _here_ ," Ace says, eyes on his little brother.

"But you _will_ die?" Sengoku confirms and shows his smarts as Fleet Admiral.

(And the world fucks him over, again and again and again)

"ACE!" Sabo screams along with Luffy, on the execution stand and freeing him so Ace flares up, chains gone but blood still dribbling down his mouth and eyes closed to mostly compose himself because his little brothers just tried to fight the Fleet Admiral for him.

For _him_ : Ace; darkness, sin, worthless, trash, useless, _mother-_ killer.

Sabo grabs his arm, dragging him away from Akainu and it's when Ace's on a ship he collapses, head on Sabo's lap and Luffy wrapped around his body and breathes and the dark haze in his head clears a little.

 _"Was I... a great father?" Eyes, warm as usual, alight with love, burning with protectiveness, blood pouring down his face and they're in a war but yet he is asking such a meaningless question because-_

 _"-Of_ course _," Ace shouts, grey orbs wide and honest, body kneeling from how much he owes pops and how he gave Ace a family, gave Ace smiles, gave Ace a purpose, a life when all he ever wanted was to die, hanging onto a rotted promise and yet here he is, trying to_ live _and yet pops questions-_

 _"ZEHAHAHA!"_

 _And Ace's world is damp once again, brothers by his side, warm gaze in his mind but heart breaking bit by bit, tears streaming down his eyes._

 _A father's body standing tall, brothers littering the floor and yet smiles do not leave them._

"You shouldn't have bothered," Ace comments, burning unbearable but bearable enough with his devil fruit and he requests an apple from a random cook, then gives it to Sabo, well, mostly trying to press it into his hands and Sabo understands what Ace is doing, pushing back.

(Did you know, that the closest fruit in the area will immediately turn into the devil fruit or the user who's died?)

"Shut up," Sabo snaps. "I almost lost the both of you!"

Luffy trembles. "Ace... you promised not to die!"

Ace winces. "You know... Gold Roger had a disease and that's why he allowed himself to get caught."

Both Sabo and Luffy freeze. "No..."

Ace gives a small smile. "Sabo, Luffy... bro's I'm slipping." And it's true, his vision was becoming hazy, breathing never became so hard until now, not even with his blood.

"Doctor!" Sabo screams but it's too late. Ace presses the apple into Sabo's shaking hands until he has no choice but to accept and hug's Luffy, flashes of yellow and blue in his vision: Marco, Luffy and Sabo.

 _Hello pops, I'm on my way._

 _Hello Thatch, we'll meet again._

 _Hello mother, forgive me for my ways, how I spend my days, the life I've thrown away._

"Don't die-yoi, not now!" Marco screams and Ace smiles, muffled words around him lower in volume each second.

"Thank you... for loving me," He whispers and everything is gone along with warmth and love.

(and burdened shoulders with bright, regretful embers and narrowly dodging dangerous fire's fingers because the case of Portgas D. Ace makes those fall in tears.

Surprisingly, Heaven is here).


	8. Can You Hear Me?

Ace hacks, blood dribbling down his chin and onto his ripped shirt, something sticking into his chest and his new car completely broken.

This is the least of Ace's worries.

The number is memorizes into his head and it's automatic, pressing the correct keys and the phone is dialling.

Waiting, waiting ,Ace juts his leg down and up before hissing and deciding to wait patiently.

" _Hello_ ," The quality is shit, doesn't have Sabo's real voice, all warmth and posh-ness and sarcasm only he could do while remaining completely innocent all the while.

Ace knows because they've been raised together, never separated.

"Yo," Ace responds. "In a car-crash."

" _Ah, fuck, where? I'll be right there!_ " Sabo shouts, and there is rustling and Ace knows exactly how Sabo is with his stubborn self so he tells him the address.

"See you, yeah," Ace swallows, sudden aching in his chest, something _compelling_ him to say something meanigful. "I-I love you, bro. More than meat. I hope you do good in life and burn the government down for me. Goodbye."

And everyone in the household knows the unwritten rule of 'never say goodbye, it's always see you later'.

There is a pause. " _Ace... I'll be right there. I love you as well, more than meat, more than my life, more than my studies and protests. Ace I love you so fucking much_ _and I will not accept this goodbye_." Sabo hangs up and Ace dials another number as easily as the first, ignoring the thumping of his heart and probably thinks the only reason why he isn't screaming in pain right now is because of adrenaline or some shit.

And the need to say his last words to his brothers and... others.

" _ACE! You're late!_ " Luffy complains and Ace laughs in response, blood spewing out of his lips and onto his lap. That isn't a good sign.

"Don't think I can make it, Lu..." Ace admits. "Just calling to say I love you though. As in I love you more than fire itself." 'Nother chuckle, he must be high or somethin'.

" _Ace... where are you? What's going on?_ " Ace smiles broadly, from cheek to cheek and he manages to take a picture and send it to Luffy while still on the phone,

"Love you, stay safe and don't be an idiot like me. Thanks... for loving me."

Ace hangs up, ignoring Luffy's screaming and dials the last number, a grin lighting up on his face despite the fact that he is wet with tears.

"Marco!" Ace beams. "What's up?"

" _Thatch trying to prank and Izo attempting to take me shopping_ ," Marco's bland but obviously annoyed voice cracks Ace up.

"So the usual then," Ace affirms before turning serious. "Hey... if I die I'm just telling you that if you ever find someone else love, you had better link up with them!" Ace sighs. "I want your boring and dumbass self to be happy... and tell me you love me."

" _Ace,_ " Marco scoffs. " _I doubt I'll fall in love with anyone else but you and second... you're not dying any time soon, thirdly of course I love you!"_

Ace grins all fake, mostly self-assurance for him even though nobody is here but his voice cracks. "Love you Marco, more than fire and meat. More than my hat and my job. Maybe a favourite amongst my brothers. I love you so fucking much you pineapple-bastard, see ya."

" _Ace-_ " Marco begins but Ace has already memorized the way he says 'I love you'.

With that Ace hangs up, leaning his head on a piece of glass that managed to stay intact.

Striker always was a good one, surviving from almost any heist he did or car-crash or fire and bullets.

The thought makes his shoulders tremble, tattoo's throbbing with something warm that spreads through his body but darkness in the night makes it recede, iciness crawling from down to up.

"This is it," Ace whispers. "This is... goodbye. Holy shit I'm dying."

Ace gulps, wanting to get out of this car, wanting to tell Sabo it's a prank and laugh at Luffy's party and kiss Marco.

Fuck, Ace wanted to live, after all this time of wanting to die, he wanted to live.

Like, really live. No suicidal heists or stunts or jail, but _live._

Pushing the car door open, Ace drops to the floor, slamming his forehead upon the ground and it's a while before he moves, red strip travelling down his eye and cheek, using his knees and hands to crawl his way through something of a road.

The clanking of the metal hitting the floor was Ace's only reason he probably didn't go crazy in the darkness, passing by various bugs and he eventually slowed down, barley moving a hand in this tiredness and pain.

There is a squeal of tyres and someone shouts his name but Ace can only focus on the tar on the road, world being muffled and he turns his head around, his gaze on the stars before there is muffling and the world is gone.


	9. Amnesia

Ace's heart is beating and the world is cruel, he knows this because there is a strange man claiming to be family and Ace wants Dadan, Sabo and Luffy and maybe Gramps, too.

He is darkness, grabbing Ace's small form and laughing at the kicking and screaming.

This is Portgas D. Ace who goes missing, the world only knows because a man like Garp has connections and-

this is Blackbeard who is a winner and presses a fruit into the ten-year old's mouth.

This is the aftermath of deceiving and lies and a thread that constantly diverges and pain.

This is the new Pirate King's death by brother and his other brother burned letting his guard in shock as he stares at his killer.

This is Blackbeard who stands above these corpses with a smile and this Ace who

cannot

remember

a

single

thing.

And this is also Ace who screams when he sees the corpses and remembers the words and the bandages on his skin and the hatred in gazes and sunshine faces which he sadly erases.

(His world is burning down, Blackbeard with it and Ace sits in the middle, scars on his skin and grey-eyes deader then a mother who's child is gone-

This is Gol D. Ace and the mera mera no mi.

This is the twisting of truth and telling a being in vulnerability to hate and hate and hate and _fight_ with all of it's heart).

Marco the Phoniex closes his eyes, tears pouring down his cheeks. "Why?"

Ace shrugs. "I just... this is all I know."

Marco stands up on his trembling legs. "Y-you can't just... GIVE ME AN ANSWER!"

Ace bows his head. "I remember now. I have fire and I know the world should be burned. This is what I've been told to believe and now... well I'll finish what I started, nothing's worth it anymore."

Marco grits his teeth. "Even the innocent, those who did nothing wrong."

Ace raises his head, hunching his shoulders and glare in the eye. " _Everyone._ After all... they would've done it to me first."

(and everything goes up in flames).


	10. someone help cause im dying inside

**SO YEAH THIS CHAPTER BASICLLY HAS IMPLICATIONS OF RAPE BUT NOT ACTUALLY THAT GRAPHIC SO HERE IS A WARNING AND IF YOU GET TRIGGERED BY THAT THEN I RECCOMEND THAT YOU DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER**

Akainu orders Ace to be in a separate cell in level 6, no cameras.

Those who refuse do not have ashes and those who do not are living in fear.

He enters and Ace prepares himself, body rigid and eyes hard.

Akainu presses a chaste kiss to Ace's lips, gentle before becoming hard and forceful.

Ace has chains around his arms, his feet, he cannot run.

(There is blonde hair waving in the wind and blue and yellow flames intertwining with his orange and red)

Akainu pulls his own pants down and Ace reflects his life so far, remembers and reminisces and pretends to ignore, attempts to forget.

He is not successful.

There are images in his eyes, sounds in his ears and words on his mind-

Ace closes his eyes and preys.

There is something dribbling down his cheek and his mouth and a mess on his chest, sticky mess.

Akainu comes again and he makes sure to clean up.

There are days where the chains are removed and slowly, the images of warm and considerate fire and replaced with molten and forceful magma and

Ace

hates

this.

The execution day comes, Ace does not struggle, does not speak, does not wonder and on the platform does not react to Sengoku's truth.

Ace bows his head and does not look at Akainu.

Ace does not look at Luffy, his brothers, Marco, Pops or Gramps.

(does not react, barley dares to breathe, something within him closing up and feeling empty at the same time)

Ace coughs, eye-to-eye with Akainu and maybe he is selfish maybe not but whispers into Luffy's ear as he falls.

"Hey... can you beat him up for... for me. It's embarrassing asking a little brother but... I can't really forgive him for ruining me, my body."

Luffy understands Ace thinks, as his face contorts to rage and Ace is glad he won't there when someone tells Marco, the shame coursing through his body so he plasters a smile onto his face and face-plants onto the floor, blood splattering and 'love' riding his body.


	11. No Words

Ace's brothers sometimes ask when Ace's birthday is... not all the time with the way he reacts but, well, he _was_ their 'enemy' back then and now, with Nurse Hana giving him a check-up and telling her brothers his birthday-they made him a cake and threw him a party.

Of course, they all expected Ace to smile and laugh and be the little brother they all knew and loved.

Yeah... didn't happen.

Ace was touchy, shoulders hunched and hackled raised with weak smiles that eventually Marco had to steer him back to his room and the next day, serious face and all, telling everyone that under no circumstances are they to celebrate Ace's birthday unless he gives permission too.

And that was it, no birthday for Ace, unless the occasional presents given by closer siblings that he accepted.

It was Thatch who led the riot in the mess-hall, throwing food around, spoon held high like it was a sword and he, a valiant knight who-

who is pretty stupid.

"ACE, BIRTHDAY'S ARE THE DAY PEOPLE ARE BORN, AND THATS WHY WE CELEBRATE YOURS! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE BRO-"

Of course he was tackled, thrown into the sea with burns and no one teased Ace with that broken, somewhat shocked expression and flush on his cheeks.

Ace had turned twenty, but still a kid to them, anyway.

But the point is, using that expression, because the Whitebeards were pirates above all, to take advantage and give Ace all the presents they had.

And even after Marineford, years after, the Whitebeards still celebrate his birth, though each presents a flower filled with words and meanings they could no longer say.


	12. Thatch

"Stop," Ace whispers, mouth pressed in a line, hat casting a shadow across his face but no matter how dangerous he seems the heart-broken facial expression is there for the world to see. "It's enough now."

"It's a shame you know, I was rooting for the kid in my non-existent heart," Blackbeard continues smile on his face, gloating. "It was a little funny, too. His shouting for his friends, I mean. Did you see his face when all his friends were gone? An' the kid kept repeating it," Swing of beer. "'Alone, alone, alone', damn funny it was but I had to put the kid out of his misery, not that he struggles."

Blackbeard continues blabbing away and despite everything hazy, everything that suggests Ace might be in a dream and that he should wake up, quickly, the image forms in his traitorous mind and Ace whimpers, pulling his hat down with his hand.

A strangled name leaves his lips. "Luffy!"

The corpse does not stir, does not move, blue veins all mythical beauty, _sick_ beauty and face in an expression of horror in his death that Ace has never seen before and-

what kind of brother is he?

What kind of brother-

brother?

No, no, Ace had _no more brothers anymore oh god he failed them, failed them._

"ACE!" Someone shouts and he wakes up, blinking and Marco's face is screwed tight together in worry, lines more visible and Ace knows that there are tears in his eyes.

"Marco... I'm horrible person," Ace says and Marco sits on his bed, crossing his arms.

"No you're not, yoi. Listen nobody could've... could've stopped _that_ , okay. It was," swallow, pain in eyes, clench of fists" unavoidable."

Ace shakes his head. "I'm dreaming, Thatch is dead and yet I'm dreaming of my brother Marco. My alive _brother_ not Thatch, Luffy! What kind of-"

There is a hand on his head, shaking hand, callous hand, warm hand, bloodied hand. "I'd like to reassure you right now, but It'll sink in later, yoi."

There is a pause and Ace squeezes his eyes shut painfully, cold spreading through his chest. "Thatch is dead."

"Thatch is dead," Marco intones, nodding his head solemnly, a fresh pain in his voice and Ace thinks he must be used to this, the revelation coming to him shockingly because this is what it means to be a pirate.

"Thatch is _dead_ ," Ace whispers, a sob in his throat and maybe it is easier to be angry right now, to allow the rage to consume until he is no longer thinking but right now-

 _Thatch is dead._

 _Dead._

 _Dead._

 _Sabo._

Brothers.

(they didn't deserve this, not like _him_ , never like _him_ )

Ace buries his head into Marco's shoulder, screaming only slightly quieter than the time Sabo died.


	13. Sense

"Who are you?" Ace asks.

"Who are you?" The person replies.

"I asked you first."

"I asked you second."

"... Sabo? I fucking recognized that sassy tone."

"... Erm, yo, Ace! So... I wasn't really dead! I just has some amnesia stuff and when I saw your bounty, well-"

Ace launches himself at Sabo impatiently, fist raised and Sabo discards his pipe, raising his own.

They are fighting, blows sloppy, not meant to truly hurt but the trees are crashing down around them anyway.

Ace wipes sweat away, panting. "You're strong, but I'm stronger."

Sabo laughs, taking off his hat. "Well I'm taller than you."

Before Ace can retort a fruit rolls in-between the two of them.

A devil fruit, a _flaming_ devil fruit.

"... dibs!" They both shout at the same time, before grinning.

"Alright, we'll just eat it at the same time," Sabo says, nodding his head.

Ace chuckles. "That's something Luffy would say, but you don't see me complaining."

And they half the fruit, tossing it in their mouth and swallowing-

"GAH!" Ace shouts, grabbing his throat, face green and Sabo falls to the floor choking.

A moment later, the two of them flare, fire covering their forms.

"Holy shit," Ace whispers. "I'm fucking burning down the scaffold at Logue Town."

Sabo swats him. "You pyro! Though... can we do it together?"

(Even though he should keep his identity secret, Sabo is well known along with Ace and turns up at the war, flaring up and Ace somehow does as well, bypassing the seastone and well, their bond as brother transcends everything and anything and nothing.

Does that even make sense? Well, nothing does when it comes to those two-even worse than Luffy when together).


	14. Red Hawk

War cry it is; fighting and surviving and purpose and sacrifice.

Words it is: insults, insults, insults, _do you not see the magnificence that is Pops-_

Pain it is; dropping, body a failure, instincts a failure, failure of a brother.

Magma vs Fire; who is hotter, who is right? Who deserves to live, what is justice?

Fire is burned.

Screams of losses; death comes for purpose, death comes for brother, death comes and smiles and splatters of blood.

Willpower is gone; broken, broken, fragments, memories, _broken_.

Trio is gone; ASL pirates no more.

Broken duo of promises is gone: only the one who asked the promiser remains.

Alone is here; swift, taking him away, aching, scar pressing downwards, burning.

Regrets do not leave; _how can I become the Pirate King when I can't even-_

Distorted voices; last words.

Last words, last faces; Ace: Sabo.

Words; Jimbei: blue, sky, sea.

Dreams, nakama, family, promise; Straw Hats.

Freedom; King of the Pirates.

King of the Pirates; free to do whatever.

Free to do whatever; _burn magma with fire._

Red Hawk.


	15. Battered Flags

"Stop this," Sabo screams into Ace's face. "You can't just... _you're not the only one suffering dammit_!"

"I know!" Ace screams back, eyes wild with so much but Sabo only recognizes the darkness and self-loathing because it's always there, settling on Ace's heart with the will of Luffy. "But that doesn't make it _easier_."

"We didn't know this would happen!" Sabo shouts, grabbing Ace's wrists to make him listen, to _understand._

There is a strangled sound in Ace's throat, tired and grieving.

A lot of grieving.

"But it still happened, didn't it? We were fucking powerless, Fire-Fist, Revolutionary Army? _Nothing_! I'm so-"

Sabo squeezes hard and there is dangerous anger in his eyes. "Don't you dare, _don't dare Ace_!"

Ace gives a defiant glare, opening his mouth but Sabo gives a war-cry, launching his brother onto the dirtied floors and they grapple, screaming and shouting profanities until everything that comes out of their mouth is gibberish, incomprehensible speech with the tears streaming down their faces and cries piercing the entire area and yet nobody bothers them.

(because there is nobody here, don't you understand? _Everyone is dead, dead, gone, graves or burned_ )

"Ace," Sabo whispers, they lay side by side. "What do we do now?"

He doesn't answer for a while but when he does, he props his elbow up, staring Sabo in the eyes, determination or revenge or a dead-man walking- Sabo doesn't know. "We live. We won't let the world government just _do_ that. Even though everyone is gone, even though there is no more revolutionaries or Whitebeards and we have devil fruits in our possession but we're already eaten our own and we're a two-man team-"

Sabo finishes. "We beat them and then we live."

Ace inhales, closing his eyes, fatigue hitting him. "Yeah..."

"We set-sail for North Blue tomorrow, leaving behind East Blue."

Ace laughs, it's a bitter sound. "What's the point of even saying East Blue? There's nothing left, might as well be named Whisky Peak."

Sabo doesn't respond, mainly because he finds the truth and humour in Ace's words.

(And isn't that so, so sad? Battered flags and burning of clinking cups).


	16. Weird Kid uncompleted

"Who are you?" The boy asks, crouched down, pipe in his hands, fear and danger and pride blazing in his eyes. "This area is mine."

Marco raises an eyebrow. "Really, well I didn't see your name on a map, yoi."

The boy blinks puzzled. "Map?" He questions hesitantly.

Marco smiles, expecting this. After all _this_ is a barley habited Island after all, anyone living here must be unaware of... pretty much everything. No contact with the world. "Map, yoi. A piece of paper which is the representation of different Islands or maybe mountains, rivers, that kind of thing."

The kid is still confused, holding his pipe tighter and wariness growing which confuses Marco as he seems pretty young so he should have at least a parent or something if his speech is this good.

"Parents?" He asks and the kid blinks.

"Parents? You mean kin?" A scowl is there suddenly, and the kid tries to scare him but Marco is experienced enough to see the face of fresh pain before his attempt at hiding it. "None your business. Leave."

Ah, so he does have someone, who must've died recently. Having that amount of vocabulary would be suspicious for a person living on their own, Marco reflects.

It's when he opens his mouth Marco can feel a small presence enter his bubble of observation haki around him that he doesn't respond to the kid, turning to face the threat that is coming for him.

Fast for it's size, the gorilla snarling and beating it's chest and Marco from the corner of his eye sees Ace narrow his eyes in determination and Marco rolls his own, what does the kid expect-

weeeeeell, he spoke too soon.

* * *

edit: errrr

i'll post when inspiration strikes so until then imma just post all the uncompleted stuff

and leave it this story on complete


	17. never have i ever

The conversation does resume, starting in the middle of a party, only a few commanders hanging around.

"So... bandits?" Thatch begins awkwardly, raising an eyebrow at Ace.

"Yeah, got raised by them until I was like, five and I took care of myself," Ace answers, taking a swing of whatever's in his cup because damn, it tastes good.

"But... you're grandfather's a marine, as you told us," Izo comments and Ace sighs.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Screwed up logic and here I am a pirate, not a bandit or marine... or revolutionary because that doesn't have anything to do with me."

Jozu, turns his head away, muttering underneath his breath, "Understatement of the century..."

Ace clears his throat, commander voice on, "Repeat that Jozu?"

The muscled man shakes his head in response and Ace smirks. "That's what I thought, anyway why are you guys asking?"

Haruta smiles sweetly. "Can't we know where our youngest bro comes from?" And Ace ducks his head, flush coming along nicely.

"U-uh, yeah, sure. I was raised in the East Blue, I have three moms, but was raised by two, my gramps, brothers, bandits and the people from Grey Terminal," Ace says in a quick rush, hesitating at brothers which some note.

"Grey Terminal, yoi?" Marco asks and Ace doesn't know what to say about that.

"A large dump that I spent most of my life in," Ace replied, flames licking his skin in memories.

"But weren't you raised by bandits?" Izo points out and Ace shrugs.

"I started taking care of myself when I was five," Ace replies and the commanders reflect the information they have been told about Ace, storing it away and-

"Then how did you end up becoming a pirate?" Haruta asks and Ace stiffens.

"... I want to prove myself," Ace replies, vague that they probably wouldn't find anything in his answer.

"To who and why?" Thatch asks, leaning forward in anticipation.

"To... the world," Ace whispers, eyes hidden from beneath his hat. "Because... well I know and that's pretty much all that matters."

"Aww." Thatch and Haruta crone whilst Jozu grunts and Izo sighs.

Marco narrows his eyes, noting the change in Ace's behaviour and filing it away for future concern he stands up, stretching his arms. "Go round up your divisions, we have to be ready early in the morning."

The commanders all groan and whine but they all pass Ace, clapping him on the back and ruffling his hair.

"Here," Marco says, smile on his face that lights up his usually apathetic face. "You won't be alone, and here, with family, you don't need to prove yourself, yoi. As long as you're Ace, nobody cares," Marco ruffles the youngers face, turning from Ace's awestruck expression and cling-film eyes.

Ace purses his lips, facing the wooden deck and pulls his hat down over his eyes, trying to cover droplets but his shakiness gives him away and the little sobs rising in his throat.

 _You are all children of the sea._

Ace squeezes his eyes shut and let's go of his hat, allowing his arms to swing at his sides and a large, watery smile graces the surface of his face, heart lighter then ever.


	18. luuuuve uncompleted

"You're lucky," The nurse says, twirling her pen and information on Ace's body on her sheet. "Had it been around nineteen years ago, you would've died as there was no cure, well even now the chances of you living are around 33%."

Ace pauses. "Die? What do you mean?"

The nurse sighs but there is a wrinkle on her forehead. "You have a genetic illness, and seeing as the current... _medicine_ was only recently developed enough to somewhat help, I'm assuming your family members have died young, correct?"

Ace shrugs, bounty poster coming to mind, dark gaze of a war won but battle lost and smile of satisfaction, a _you haven't killed me yet, you_ can't _kill me._

And, Ace supposes, that Roger is right. He isn't really dead, not with his words a storm in this world and existence a motivator to all men and captians's coat suffocating-

"Ace," The nurse says, placing a hand onto his shoulder. "It's going to be okay, despite the chances, _we're going to save you."_

Ace swallows. "That's not it... besides it doesn't really matter much, I'll keep living my life with no regrets."

 _I promise you Luffy, I'LL NEVER DIE_

Ace exhales, breath in him he never knew he trapped during this shocking revelation.

"That may be how you decide to live, but now your life is no longer in your own hands, yoi," Marco says, coming from the shadows and fitting Ace with a hard look.

The nurse flutters, scowl on her face and voicing her displeasure, "Brother Marco, don't agitate Ace, though you are right, but now isn't-"

"-You're right," Marco says, stepping forward and taking Ace by the arm. " Inform Pops, please. Ace and I... need to have a chat."

The nurse sighs but stands up, clipboard in her hands. "Fine but don't stress him out," Giving a lovely smile to Ace she walks out, voice loud. "Love you little bro."

Ace turns a deep red, flushing from his cheeks to his ears, spluttering, "L-love... you too..."

The nurse's laughter echo's throughout the hallway, and of course ever brother passing by grins at the sight of Ace's flush which, well, doesn't help Ace himself. By the time it recedes and Ace is his usual tan, Marco, patiently waiting all this time, only to place both hands on Ace's shoulders and steer him to the deck.


	19. what is this stupidity

"Don't you find it sad," Ace comments one day and Sabo tilts his head. "That we're so desperate for freedom, to prove ourselves... what would things be like if we were different?" Ace wonders.

Sabo doesn't answer for a while, in deep thought before smiling sadly. "Well if my parents were nice I'd still be a noble, maybe."

Ace gives him an odd look. "I thought you're an orphan."

Sabo shrugs, unconfutable. "Yeah, well, I'm not. Now you know."

Ace sighs, flopping onto the grass in the forest. "If my mom was alive... I dunno maybe I'd be happier?"

Sabo bites his lip. "And... Rog-"

"-No," Ace says flatly, glare on his face. "Never- I can't even _think_ about that bastard... stupid man's blood running in my veins! It's all his fault-" Ace growls, slamming his fist on the ground and letting out a scream of rage.

"But..." Sabo continues softly. "He's the King of the Pirates, Ace and _we're_ trying to be pirates for freedom so... doesn't that make him the freest by default."

And Sabo would've sounded smart, even if it's about the bastard, only Ace heard Luffy saying the exact same thing a while ago.

Ace scoffs. "If he was free he wouldn't be dead," Ace responds, flatly. "Maybe it's because he knew he was weakening or something... that I'm born. Sabo, d'you think I should... still be a pirate?"

"Of course!" Sabo shouts, getting to his feet and standing above Ace in a consuming but freezing rage, wounds of abandonment opening slowly. "We promised, dammit. We promised to be free, screw you're father, screw our parents they don't define us!"

Ace gets to his feet, something desperate and wild in his eyes. "Yes they do!" He screams. "Because when the marines come to this Island and come for me it'll be because of my blood!"

Sabo flinches before shouting back, tears staining his eyes. "Well, then don't get caught! Become a better pirate then your father, give them another reason, Ace!"

"Who can be better than the King of the Pirates?" Ace gets into Sabo's face, grabbing his collar, droplets clinging to his cheeks and dribbling down his chin. "Don't you understand, _I_ have his blood! _I_ am a sin!"

"No, you're not!" Sabo slaps Ace's hand away. "You're _my_ best-friend!"

Ace laughs somewhat hysterically, stepping backwards and looking at his palms. "That won't matter in the end," He whispers.

Sabo grits his teeth and slugs Ace in the face, coming at him even before he gets up, sitting on-top of his chest and screaming hoarsely, "I don't care! There won't be an end! I'll just... we'll get stronger then! We'll get so strong that no one can touch us!" Sabo bawls, droplets on Ace's face who also cries.

"Shut up! Shut up, you don't... the _whole world_ hates me," Ace mumbles, turning away and the tears slide onto the ground as his mouth trembles. "I can't... you can't... I hate you!"

Sabo laughs somewhat hysterically. "I-I hate you too!" He blubbers and stands up, helping Ace who's face is bruised. "... don't forget it."

Ace stares stubbornly at his feet, sniffling, before staring Sabo in the eye, his own red-rimmed. "Do that again and I'll make you regret it."

Sabo scoffs, tears on his face but smile happy. "Then don't be an idiot."

Ace raises his eyebrow. "Sabo meet Ace."

Sabo slumps and facepalms. "It's pot meet kettle."


	20. rants in anguish

The devil has come," Ace sings and Sabo interrupts the next line.

"To bury me home..." A smile on his face, eyes dark.

"Leave me at the bottom of the river," They continue together.

"Why would you want that? I mean a river, really?" Sabo asks and Ace shrugs.

"Ocean, freedom, all that stuff," Ace responds and Sabo nods his head.

"Alright, my turn... Wish I could turn back time-" Ace grins, bobbing his head up and down and joining in.

"To the good old days, when your mom sings us to sleep but now we're stressed out!" The two finish and Sabo opens his mouth to continue but catches sight of Ace's pondering expression and grumbles. "What?"

"Why do you wanna turn back time? We don't have mothers-well, I don't but yours is shit-so why?" Ace asks.

Sabo shrugs. "Just... if everything could be better, you know. If I could have stayed and you could have lived and... well here I am speaking to my brother in heaven when I could've saved you-"

Ace scoffs, intentionally cutting Sabo's stupid words. "For a smart guy you're stupid, no regrets, dumbass. We're here now and that's all that matters, right?"

Sabo laughs, soft smile on his lips. "Shut up, you idiot." And Ace grins in response.

"My turn, uh...," Ace bites his lips before singing," So heaven if you sent us down, so we could build a plague of vows, for the sinners to play as saints-"

Sabo gapes. "-Wha-"

"You'll be so proud of what we make," Ace continues not batting an eye. "I hope you've got some beds around, 'cause you're the only refuge now, for every mother and every child, every brother who's caught in the crossfire," There's a pause," ooh, caught in the crossfire..." Ace finishes with that, looking uncertain and facing Sabo. "That's what... that's what _I_ did before I was even born, that's true regret, 'bo."

Sabo narrows his eyes, glaring Ace in the eye. "I know that you listen to that stupid, goddamn song every day and that you probably cry to it-"

Ace huffs, crossing his arms and looking self-conscious. "I do _not_ -"

"But just know, that... nothing's your stupid fault. Crossfire? I know for a fact that you're referring to yourself and mother, brother, children?" Sabo shakes his head sadly. "World Government is to be blamed... let's say it happened to Luffy would you blame him, for having an infamous father? For having children killed even though it isn't his fault?"

Ace gapes. "Wha-no, of course not but," Ace purses his lips, looking away. "It's Luffy and Dragon is bringing change... I've got the blood of a devil, I'm... a sin and even with all your smiles I still get you all killed," Ace rants in anguish. "Don't you understand?! Everything I've done in my life is useless! Promise? Broke that. Final Captain's orders? Broke that. _Protecting_ my little brothers? Yeah, fucked that up, too," Ace shakes his head, jumping off the branch the two were lounging on, landing on the grass and walking away, clenched hands in pockets. "No matter what you tell me... no matter what the World Government says... all of that is all me, all me any my useless self." Ignoring Sabo's shouts, Ace walks away, eyes dark and hides out in the forest, ignoring people who call for him.


	21. heyheyhey youre not alright

The moon in shining, blood on Ace's clothes and fists, usual glare replaced with a look of defeat but the bandits couldn't care less about a weakness on the kid's face they've never seen before, ushering him inside and ignoring his gritting teeth and snapping comments.

"Brat," Dadan begins shakily, taking a breath to calm herself and Ace raises an eyebrow in interest, spotting a newspaper crushed in the woman's grasp, hands shaking and frowns at the uncharacteristic display of fear that was never shown unless Garp was in the area, he shuffles uneasily. "You... just pack your stuff."

Ace clenches his teeth, pipe previously held loosely but now gripped tight and Ace narrows his eyes at Dadan. "What? Finally kicking me out?"

Dadan meets Ace's stare with her own, unlit cigarette crushed in her mouth. "I don't have a choice in the matter, Ace." She says defeated, slumping and releases the newspaper, letting it float to the floor, title visible for Ace to read, barley, 'cause he only knows the bit's Sabo taught him-

His pipe clatters to the floor, mouth open in shock, Ace's eyes burn a hole into the paper before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, picking his pipe back up and walking away, packing his things and leaving without a word but before he strays to far, Dadan runs after him, heaving and hands on knees.

"Brat!" She roars, hesitating but Ace simply nods, he understands.

"Yeah," He whispers, almost swallowing his words but Ace never runs away. "See ya never, old hag."

Dadan does not berate him, only watching him go, lighter in her hands, but after failed attempts on trying to get the fire to sprout, she simply drops it, nails indenting crescents in her palms with the amount of force, of _anger_ she clenches her hands with.

Closing her eyes with a shuddering breath, Dadan's back only seen by the other bandits at the entrance, she allows herself to cry, tears falling with a plop. "You bastard Garp," She whispers. "Why did you even bother? The world's going to hound this blood no matter what and now..."

 **MARINE'S SEARCHING FOR PIRATE KING'S SON BELIEVED TO BE IN EAST BLUE!**

Because it was only a short amount of time before they docked and all the questions Ace asked people before beating them up were going to expose him and-

even Garp, the Hero, could do nothing against the world who wanted this blood to be eradicated.


	22. my responsibility

"I don't care," Ace says flatly. "Brother's? Sisters? Dad? Family? I've never had any of that, I've been alone all my life so I don't need it now."

Marco furrows his brows. "That makes no sense, who raised you? You can't be telling me that you raised yourself as a baby."

Ace shrugs. "Raised by bandits until five and started looking after myself."

Marco raised an eyebrow, sitting next to Ace on the deck, food steaming away next to him. "Yeah? So you're telling me that you've been alone for twelve years?"

Ace's face hardens, something unbearably painful flickering before a glare covers it, and that must be his mask, Marco thinks. "Yeah, you're getting way too comfortable here."

"I'm only interested," Marco protests peacefully, though that's debatable with his half-lidded eyes and face that clearly states he couldn't give a shit but his tone is sincere. "If you're alone like you said then that means you've told no one of this, correct?"

Ace's eyes pierce Marco's own, searching, searching, before he slumps, closing them for a moment and his left hands slowly comes up, grasping his bicep where his tattoo can be seen. "... I had a friend once but he died." Ace says quietly.

Marco nods his head for Ace to carry on, in assurance. "Yeah?"

Ace snorts. "That's it, isn't it? That's the biggest friendship I've ever had in my life and he _died_ ,"

Marco gives him look-over. "And is that why... you think you can't have any other friends, can't form other relationships?"

Ace purses his lips. "I can have friends," He argues. "I can but I shouldn't... I don't deserve to."

"And," Marco seriously isn't a therapy person or whatever but he's trying to make Ace his brother and if he needs to do this then what the hell would he lose? "And, who the hell told you that?"

"It should be common," Ace continues. "Not with my existence, not with this blood in my veins and on my hands. Everything good thing in my life gets fucking destroyed in some way."

"We're the Whitebeard Pirates," Marco points out. "We're strong, we won't die."

"Everyone dies at some point." Ace argues. "But that's not the point, the point is I don't deserve shit with this existence of mine, OK."

Marco leans a little closer to Ace, anger slightly apparent in his features. "Yeah? Well who the _fuck_ decides that?"

Ace smiles bitterly, something so painful, something broken that can be shattered, that's already _partly_ shattered, Marco realises. "The world," Ace says quietly. "The world says that, the corpses of babies and mothers say that. The people cursing and affected say that."

"First of, we're pirates for a goddamn reason so screw the world and second, do you know them all?" Marco questions.

Ace laughs. "No, but they know me. Curse me everyday, hope I don't exist but I'm here and..." He falters.

"That's right," Marco continues for him. "You're here, you stupid idiot. I don't give a shit what anyone thinks of you, all of us here are outcasts, children of the sea, children of pops."

There's a wry smile on Ace's face, promising to change Marco's entire world and flip over everything. "Yeah, not the child of Gol D. Roger, though?"

Marco pauses, not that big of a deal, he really thought Ace was going to say he was the grandson of Garp the Hero or something, now _that_ would've been shocking... Ok not really with Ace's track record.

Marco shrugs. "Well, we do now, " He says so simply and Ace stares at him.

"You're not being serious?" Ace clenches his fist. "Don't screw around! I know the Pirate King and Whitebeard fought all the time!"

"And just as they fought, they also drank and had so much money-wasting parties we all ate potatoes for a week," Marco counters and switches back to topic. "Listen, I don't give a damn, no one on this ship also gives a damn, and if they do we'll deal with it _together_ , OK."

A few minutes pass, stars shining above and Ace's face twists to something Marco would never like to glimpse at again even with his life as a pirate and he's seen some really _gruesome_ things. "So you're saying... that I should live?... That I deserve _this_?"

Marco bobs his head. "Yeah, you should live, you should exist and become our newest brother."

Ace's mouth wobbles, tears glistening and he grabs the ends of his hat with his hands and pulls it down, tears running down his face. "... you sound like a cult." Is Ace's strangled reply and Marco laughs, swinging an arm around Ace's shoulders.

"Why do you think the marines are always after us?" They both laugh and it's this night Ace visits Whitebeard but before that Ace gives a wide smile, straining his cheeks and gums visible, passing pirates drop to the floor in shock to the childish, young side shown to them.

"That's the first time anyone's ever told me that," Ace whispers, telling Marco like it's an intimate secret, which it is.

"It's long over-due," Is Marco's reply and pushes him inside Whitebeard's room before Ace could protest.


	23. ghosts can burn the sun

Ace is supposed to be eldest brother.

He's supposed to be the one looking after them, and them looking up to him, relying on him.

Ace is the one who is supposed to fall first.

Not the _last_ , god not the last.

He's here, this blood in his veins so stark in his eyes, in many other eyes too, once they realise.

His existence is the reason they're probably dead, it's a fact.

Nothing good comes from interacting with Portgas D. Ace.

Worse thing about all this-

there's nothing.

Nothing left of them.

There's a treehouse, flag waving in the wind, indicating freedom, his eyes catch the black fabric, letters spelling out who they belong to and one upon a time that would've brought a smile to his face; reason why he's training now, why's he's gathering money and-

doesn't matter now, does it?

The treehouse if full of memories and if Ace can fool himself, he can pretend those memories only contain him and no one else, pretend the treehouse belongs only to him and that the letters spelled out on the black flag mean something else.

But Ace cannot-

can never, really, no matter how many times he tries

-there's three blankets and pillows hazardously thrown around, pipes leaning on the wall.

Ace cannot pretend and the worse thing is while these things are meaningful they are also meaningless because they represent nothing and everything at the same time.

Ace doesn't know, cannot think, cannot make sense of this.

There are graves, two of them cut from tree and hard wood and tears and no words carved onto them, nobody could ever wonder who they belong to.

But Ace knows, he's the only one to know, can easily tell them apart on the cliff which displays the sun and sky and sea and all their dreams as he spends his time next to them every second he can spare because they're his _brothers_ and they do everything together.

 _Everything._

Ten-year old Ace won't go back on his promise but at least he knows that he'll be joining them soon. It brings comfort on the days where everything is greycoldnumbnihility-

death.

When everything feels like death, because Ace knows his existence causes death and sometimes it's not even the blood in his veins-

its him

But Sabo and Luffy still insisted so Ace will live for them and them only, fight for them, eat for them, _breathe_ for them, their brotherhood becoming motivation and promises and declarations and memory becoming what Ace uses to survive.

Breathing never became so taxing, so hard now.

Whatever, he shouldn't complain, it doesn't matter what he thinks, he needs to complete thei-his dreams.

(Dadan helps).

Ace is lounging around the bandit's hideout, debating, debating until he has no choice when Dadan herself comes up to him.

Everything about her is unreadable, bundle of something in her hand and when Ace looks closer it's two hats.

But it isn't just two _random_ hats, no they belong to his precious brothers, they represent his precious brothers.

 _So there is something left... something for me to carry their legacy, proof that they lived within me._

Dadan gives him the top-hat first, somewhat burned but clearly shown some care which explains how clean it is.

 _"This hat? Why I wear it? Well... it shows I'm a noble when I set out to be a pirate, that's the ultimate insult to them, isn't it?" Sabo grins brightly. "Me, a noble, becoming a pirate?! HAH!"_

Ace places the top-hat onto his locks, allowing it to settle there for a while, fingers raised and hesitating before feeling the material and Ace swallows, flashbacks of this exact hat on blonde hairs and laughter accompanying it.

Ace looks down, face shadowed and takes the next hat, hands shaking as he does so and clenches it tightly before forcible relaxing his grip, taking a breath as nothing but memories fill him up and he takes his sight to the sky in search of something better then these memories but that doesn't always work.

 _1_

When he first met Sabo, same hat rolling to his feet and picking it up, before placing it on his head with a cheeky grin and Sabo challenging him for it- a whole year.

 _2_

The three of them together, hats half-falling onto his own head.

 _3_

Blue hat tatters, burned badly and lazily circling in the air before dropping into the sea with a plop.

 **inhale**

 _1_

Running, running, shouts and screams and smiles and yet he still asked to be his friend.

 _2_

Wind blowing harshly onto their faces, laughter and challenges and creaking of wood of the people closest to the sky.

 _3_

Straw-hat harshly landing onto the floor, splatters of blood accompanying it along with grim, satisfied faces and a thud, screaming starts-

 _ **exhale**_

Ace continues to do this, to breathe and turns away, walking through the forest completely _not_ on guard, or focusing but he makes it to the cliff, only the blue skies in his vision and his harsh breath softening in his ears, cold air fanning his face.

He's still somewhat at peace, (lies, lies, lies... maybe, he'll never be OK) still breathing, nothing in his head as he watches the sun-set, beautiful colours streaming out without want of permission.

Ace is in a trance and doesn't really want to get out of it.

"Do you think... that if I sailed to the end of the world, I could find the sun?" He asks, a stupid question and only the waves crashing answers him. "Yeah, stupid, right?"

There's a pause, Ace turning the Straw-Hat round and round in his hands absentmindedly.

"But I'm gonna do it," He whispers, confidently promises, voice steady that hasn't been heard in what seems like a lifetime. "I'm gonna find the One Piece, I'm gonna be free- for you, for my brothers."

The words slipping are unfamiliar, something he wouldn't even catch himself thinking but it's right, filling up a hole partly and a new path, light springing in the dark.

(and kinda stupid, Ace thinks, because he's already found his sun, _sun's_ and he'll find them again, he won't let death separate them).

Ace slips the Straw-Hat over his neck and allows it to dangle with a string Dadan must've added, he sniffs, wiping his arm across his eyes and within quick movement, turns around, heading back to... to _somewhere_ before being stopped, hand on his shoulder and arms around his waist, warmth burning his skin and he shakily inhales, rolling his shoulders and tries not to stumble as they push him forward with a laugh and an edge of a smile ghosts his features.


	24. kid youre somethin' else

It's another day for The Phoenix, breaking into a house and taking whatever the hell they have inside, cover all tracks and give the money to his family with claiming it was from some unknown job.

Of course, it being Teach's house is just a coincidence, The Phoenix would never be so petty... maybe.

Anyway, yada, yada, yada...

"Jackpot," He whispers blue flaming mask secured onto his face and hair hidden along with every single piece of skin by fabric. Anyway, big, padded door, several locks and probably untold riches within, Phoenix grins, easily entering because he's the best, however, he didn't expect, never guessed, really, a man hanging from chains, chilly room with metal filled rooms and blood splatters coting the area.

The man groans, coughing and breathing heavily, bruises dotting his muscles, thin blanket thrown on top of him hiding most and dirtied skin clearly showing he's been here for a few weeks at least.

Phoenix walks closer slowly, quietly but the other man still stirs, eyes defensive and brilliant flame of will still there but delirious.

"Who the... are you?" The man struggles to speak, trying to keep his eyes open but lids sliding shut and Marco takes a deep breath to compose himself and not find Teach to kill him in the most violent way possible.

He crouches down, throwing his glove to the ground and tangling his hand in the unruly hair and caressing, aware that the other ma- _teen_ lolls his head closer to him and finally falls asleep.

Marco takes the man to his house, in the darkness of the night and waits until he is awake, somewhat creepy but he wants to be able to comfort the kid for what his... co-worker has done and of course get details to penalize him.

"No," The _teen_ known as Ace, says, "Don't call the police, it's not a big deal."

"It is," The Phoenix now in civilian form known as Marco, insists. "Listen, you don't have to act strong, kid."

"I'm not," Ace argues. "I just... it's Ok, alright. I'm thankful and all but I've got people who at worried I need to reassure and... I'm used to this, man."

Marco's lips thin. "That's not a good thing."

Ace laughs, turning over in the bed without a wince so his back is to Marco, hiding and Marco somehow thinks this isn't actually something the kid is used to, turning away from his problems that is. "It's not," He agrees, still speaking and Marco snaps to attention. "But it's still all I know."

Ace is gone the next day without a trace and Marco tells all this to his father, including his occupation and has Teach _killed._

(Because guess what, they're the Whitebeard Gang, best in the country of One Piece).

A kid called Ace tries to challenge them, two years later, healthy, an orange monstrosity of a hat plopped onto black locks, spark in his eyes, freckles dotting his cheeks-

and Marco smiles really, really widely.


	25. we're bitter butterflies with no wings 1

Ace locks eyes with his Grandpa as a new-born baby and the world explodes into colour, yellow suddenly everywhere and Ace squints when the sun's rays blocks his vision.

"Oh," Garp suddenly says with a grin, staring down at Ace with something that is warm, comforting.

(Ace would later learn that it is home).

When he meet's Dadan a few weeks later the world turns orange and laughs at her shrieks.

"YOU'RE TELLING ME THE ONLY COLOUR I HAVEN'T HAD IN MY LIFE IS BECAUSE OF THIS BABY!" Dadan screams and Garp laughs.

"It's the same for me. Though, look at the irony, you're both the orange for each other BWAHAHAHA!"

(and maybe, that's why the bandits don't mind taking care of his wounds, claiming things like he is there orange/red and Ace doesn't really get it. Why is he the orange and _red?_ to them but doesn't get a colour in return?

His answer comes in a year, as a five-year old).

In Grey Terminal, it's not the odd to see someone getting robbed but when it's a kid your age who accidently locked eyes with you everything suddenly becomes blue, _and_ yellow, well, you have no choice but to intervene.

"Sabo," He introduces himself first.

"... Ace," Ace does grudgingly.

Sabo seems to sense his hesitance. "Erm... you're orange _and_ red," He says.

"You're blue _and_ yellow, even though I have a yellow," Ace responds and there is an awkward silence which only effects Sabo who shifts every few minutes and Ace thinks, that if he's a colour-mate then, he shouldn't be too bad.

"I want to be a pirate," Sabo shouts, breaking the silence, staring at Ace with blazing eyes.

Ace blinks, mostly at the coincidence. "So do I... I've started to build a Pirate Fund."

Sabo grins and Ace thinks he could get used to it, even for someone with his blood.

"Explain the colour-mate thing to me," Ace asks, mostly demands but after five years of friendship they got used to each other, living at Dadan's certainly helped.

"Well you know the basics already, a person usually only has one colour-mate but well, _we_ have multiple that's actually unheard of," Sabo comments. "Not to mention we can give people colours-that's a bit weird, too but that's about it. And, well, that's the basics. Obviously if you die then your colour is gone, so don't be an idiot. Not to mention it seems that we have two different colours along with all of this weirdness. I have blue and yellow, well a shade for you, and you orange and red."

Ace nods his head, trying to absorb what he can. "That... explains a lot, guess we're just special, huh?"

Sabo grins. "Yeah!"

Though, when the brother lock eyes with Luffy, colour blossoming in their vision, after a few months Sabo laughs, when he questions Luffy.

"I guess, it's the _three_ of us, not to mention Luffy has yellow and red which is a combination of both of us!" Sabo exclaims and they celebrate for no reason, cheering and laughing.

(This is the days they live with smiles and dreams and colours and brotherhood, a bond that transcends blood itself)

And the blue and shade of yellow faded away in the flickering flames.

Ace screams and Luffy shouts and they both cry and sob but the sky and half the sun isn't coming back and there is a gaping hole in their soul, in their brotherhood.

(and sometimes it flickers, the brothers talk and they decide to search, just in case)

Makino is dark green and motherly and Ace thinks he has three mothers, dreaming of the colour his blood-mother would have.

"I'm setting sail Sabo," Ace whispers, tilting his hat to hide his eyes and creates a crew from scratch along with the orange and red in the fire he could only see.

Occasional flickers of yellow, of sunshine because Sabo is golden and Garp is pale in comparison.

Meeting Shanks is nerve-wracking and the red-haired man raises his eyebrows, for a while, looking through Ace. "You remind me of my Captain," He says, drunk but words sincere. "Even though he is dead, how is it... that you wear his colours again?"

(Ace cannot answer but he knows that something is wrong and once he finds out exactly who the captain is he'll hate himself even more).

"I WON'T LET YOU HURT POPS!" Jimbe screams and Ace locks eyes with him in shock, a navy blue colouring his features and they both stare at each other but start to fight once again because their goals are more important.

It takes five days and wet eyes because though it is not the right shade of blue, but it still makes Ace nostalgic, mind wandering away in battle.

And yet he wins, panting and tired despite all, he is here and he is alive.

"You wished to challenge me?" Whitebeard asks and Ace let's his fire loose, allowing his crewmembers to escape. While he hadn't actively searched for Whitebeard, more preoccupied about Sabo, he didn't miss this chance either. "Oh, are you escaping?"

Ace huffs. "I'm letting my crewmembers escape!" He launches himself at Whitebeard expecting a fight.

And he is utterly dominated, falling to the floor and locks eyes with Whitebeard who's eye widen before grinning. "Become my son and sail the sea free," He offers.

Ace gnaws his lips in anger. "NO WAY!" Before he succumbs to narcolepsy, not being knocked out, totally.

When Ace awakes in a bed, his first time, and spots a light, green plant, he swears, rather violently even for him.

The first division commander struts in with a smirk. "We put that there for people who are colour-mates with pops, he can make you see the colour green-"

It's like electricity, like your whole world is with one person and this one person only.

Light blue floats to life and Ace closes his eyes because despite all _sabo's blue is not there and Ace can tell the difference dammit._

"That... was a surprise," Marco comments, eyes wide but Ace is already used to all of this and scoffs.

"Not going to stop me from killing your captain," He promises, eyes dark because now he lost almost everything and he damn well won't go back to Dawn Island and start over.

It's Marco's turn to scoff. "Colour-mate and all, I won't let you hurt pops, not that you can."

Ace growls and shuffles past Marco, entering the stupid deck and ignoring the stupid pirates to try to talk to him and ends up right in front of Whitebeard.

"I will never become your shitty son!" Ace spits and Whitebeard only smiles kindly.

"You know," He begins and everyone immediately quietens, like fucking pets, Ace thinks. "I've met Roger who gave me some colour and he died," Ace suppresses a flinch at the name. "But with all my time at sea... I've never met anyone who's given me full colour like you have, son."

Everyone's stunned into silence and Ace crosses his arms, unimpressed. He and Luffy have been doing on Dawn Island, and as a pirate he's been doing, saving random people or something or crushing an organization of some parts and somehow the king of a country is in his debt and giving the king colour at the same time.

This is normal to Portgas D. Ace.

"Yeah, well you wouldn't be the last person who I gave colour, too," Ace responds flatly and everyone gapes at him while Whitebeard chuckles and Ace slinks away, not like a shadow because everyone's attention is on him, but still escapes nonetheless.

And ends up bumping into someone.

"You alright, bro?" The person asks, pompadour pressed into Ace face and he debates burning it all of off before brushing past them and intending to get the layout of the ship but they grasp his arm. "Hey-"

It happens, electric, soul and gibberish, love whatever.

Ace wants Sabo, he doesn't want _this_ , these people who are colour-mates, colour of the soul.

"I'm Thatch," Thatch introduces himself and Ace pry's the fingers off.

"I. Don't. Care," And he's gone until his latest sneak attack against Whitebeard and this continues until the eighty-fifth day where he is literally kidnapped.

They give him an assessing glance, measuring him and for some reason or another, Ace doesn't want to move, doesn't want to protest and when Izo is done he takes the clothes and thanks them.

Of course the sparkly shit happens and Izo is purple.

"I'm male," Izo clarifies, smile on his face though Ace wouldn't know its rare.

Ace doesn't know how to feel about most of the Whitebeards being his soul-mate but doesn't bother now.

It's not like he can do anything, after all the world's been screwing around with him before he was even born.

On the one-hundredth day, Marco sits next to him as if Ace invited him, setting down plates of steaming food and Ace doesn't want to touch it but Marco has no qualms eating his food.

Ace hesitates. "Why... do you call him 'pops'?"

Marco hums before a wide grin stretches his face, all joy and love and fondness, the way Ace would look at Luffy and Sabo.

"Because he call us his sons," Marco responds, tone all respect and awe. "While the rest of the world sees us as outcasts... it's just a word but it makes us happy, yoi. Pops would take in anyone."

Ace finds himself pursing his lips. "Anyone? That sounds far-fetched."

Marco gives Ace a knowing look. "Trust me, it's not as far-fetched as you think it is."

And soon, Ace finds himself outside Whitebeards door, the words echoing through his mind and knocks, throwing all caution out the window.

When he receives permission to enter, Ace finds Whitebeards gaze. "What would you do if even Gold Roger himself had a child who would want to board your ship?"

Whitebeard sets down his book. "Well, I would call him son and love him as a father," Whitebeard answers easily.

Ace frowns. "Yeah, but isn't Roger your enemy?" He protests and Whitebeard laughs.

"We were more friends, than rivals," Whitebeard reveals with a smile.

"I'm Gold Roger's son," Ace revels with a whisper.

"Gurararara, you know I expected a bigger problem then this!" Whitebeard says and grabs his book, hiding his eyes from Ace's own teary ones. "Goodnight, son."

"Night... pops," Ace whispers, leaving the room.

Years pass with Ace becoming second commander and various things happen but Ace knows the most shocking one is happening right now, like _right_ now but let's backtrack a bit.

"Oi," Ace growls, holding onto a strangers bicep to keep them from moving. "What was that for, it wasn't very nice, was it?"

The stranger scoffs, voice all deep. "Yeah? Well you're pirates, the epitomes of nice, I believe?"

Ace narrows his eyes and the stranger looks up at him but Ace knows whatever he was about to say is stuck in his throat because he can see the raging seas in eyes and golden blonde in hair. "...Sabo?" Ace croaks and the stranger looks as shocked as Ace before closing off their expression, emotions, face hard.

"How do you know my name?" They interrogate and Ace grits his teeth.

"Y-you forgot me? Forgot Luffy?" Ace hisses, hackles rising and skin turning red.

"I don't know who you are," The stranger begins, top-hat hiding eyes from view. "I have amnesia, sorry about that. You're Fire-Fist, right? I'll drop by your ship, I have more important things to do." With that he leaves, wrenching his arm from Ace's slacked grip and trudging away while Ace watches, scream in his voice and blue shining brightly and sun's rays being blocked by his hat.

"Holy shit," Ace whispers, eyes wide but throws his hands into his pocket and doesn't think until he get's to the Moby Dick, steaming from anger and well, it was unfortunate Thatch was the first person who saw him.


End file.
